Uncle Gui, the Old Marquis, and the Secret Letter

Perhaps it was Chen Yi's imagination, but on the road from Chunhe Garden to the quiet courtyard where Old Marquis Xiao resided in the central compound, the looks from the Xiao Manor's servants and maidservants toward him were noticeably kinder.

Even the uncles and aunts from the second branch he encountered greeted him warmly and politely, first saying "Good morning, Young Marquis," then addressing him as "Second Son-in-law."

Some he recognized, some he didn't.

Fortunately, Xiao Wuge was there to keep him from making a fool of himself.

Wang Lixing and the others behind him took note, and when they reached a secluded spot, spoke familiarly: "Second Son-in-law's popularity in the manor has improved a lot."

Ge Laosan, always blunt and unrestrained, chimed in: "Don't even mention the masters and madams—even I admire the son-in-law's learning. You know, about the son-in-law fleeing the marriage..."

Before he could finish, the Armored Soldier beside him quickly covered his mouth.

Wang Lixing turned back and glared at him, then softly apologized to Chen Yi: "Third Brother is just that kind of person. Please forgive him."

Chen Yi waved his hand and said without evasion: "No harm, no harm. I was bewitched before. If I'd known the Xiao Manor would treat me so well, I'd never have fled."

Hearing this, Wang Lixing and the others exchanged glances and gave him a thumbs-up.

Aside from his learning, the Second Son-in-law's character was also excellent. Anyone else confined for months would have been kicking up a fuss by now.

Before long.

Chen Yi, accompanied by Xiao Wuge and the others, passed through the central compound's corridor. An old man with a hunched back came toward them, carrying some odds and ends in his hands.

Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge stepped aside voluntarily, and they saw Wang Lixing and the others bow to him in a military salute: "Uncle Gui."

The old man seemed hard of hearing, hobbling past without a sound as if he hadn't heard.

Chen Yi gave him a few extra glances, suddenly remembering something, and asked Wang Lixing: "Uncle Gui?"

Wang Lixing's expression shifted slightly, and he replied in a low voice: "Uncle Gui is a veteran of the Dingyuan Army. He was once Old Marquis's tent guard."

Chen Yi nodded in understanding and walked on, saying: "No wonder you all show him such respect."

Wang Lixing and the others followed. "Speaking of which, Uncle Gui is a pitiful man. In the final battle where Old Marquis repelled the Barbarian King's army, Uncle Gui was severely wounded. Luckily, he was treated in time and had no lasting harm."

"He thought returning to Shuzhou would bring promotion and reward, but it happened to coincide with the personnel reshuffles in the Protectorate and the Provincial Administration. Many veterans had their military merits distorted, and Uncle Gui's contributions were simply erased."

"Later, Old Marquis felt he owed him, so he kept him in the Marquis's mansion and even arranged for him to marry and have children."

Chen Yi listened to Wang Lixing recount that past, and soon they arrived outside the quiet courtyard's gate. His thoughts lingered mostly on Uncle Gui.

This "Uncle Gui" should be the elderly servant Pei Guanli had mentioned earlier. With such a turbulent story behind him, it was possible he harbored resentment toward the Xiao Family and had turned disloyal.

Thinking this, Chen Yi was about to announce himself when Xiao Wuge waved at the guards at the gate and pulled him straight into the courtyard.

"Grandfather, Brother-in-law has come to see you."

Chen Yi followed him past the screen wall and swept his gaze around.

The courtyard was smaller than Qinghe Garden, but full of flowers and plants. On either side of the bluestone path were two rows of grape trellises, with seedlings climbing up them. Beneath them were various shrubs, with a stream flowing through.

From a distance, he saw three old men sitting in a pavilion on the south side of the yard, drinking tea and playing chess.

One of them had a rugged, imposing face and a sturdy build, but it was clear his body was somewhat frail.

The other two sat opposite each other on either side of the chessboard.

One was neatly dressed, exuding an air of nobility. At the moment, his brows were slightly raised, and he looked smugly at the old man across from him.

As for the last man, Chen Yi couldn't see his face, only heard him grumbling: "Even if you are a duke, you can't take back moves like this! This is the third time!"

"What do you mean, taking back moves? This old man calls it a tiger's nap."

"You call it a—"

Before the two could bicker further, the burly old man beside them stopped them, then gestured for Xiao Wuge to come over, his eyes fixed on Chen Yi.

Though his eyes were clouded, Chen Yi could feel his scrutiny.

Without needing further prompting, Chen Yi calmly offered his respects: "Chen Yi greets Old Master, Duke Zhang, and Mr. Sun."

Before Old Marquis could say anything, Zhang Xuan, who had been scheming to take back his move, shoved the chessboard aside. "Oh? Is that your grandson-in-law?"

Sun Fu felt his vision go dark, his chest tight with anger, and nearly got up to strangle the old bastard.

But knowing there were younger people present, and restrained by his own cultivation and learning, he held back. He turned to look at Chen Yi, sizing him up.

Old Marquis Xiao shot them both a glare, then signaled a servant to bring Chen Yi a chair. "Sit down and speak."

Chen Yi bowed again before walking over and sitting down, his expression calm.

Though it was his first time meeting the three elders—Old Marquis, Old Duke, and Mr. Sun—Xiao Wuge had spoken of them often these past days.

Thus, Chen Yi had a general understanding of the three elders' temperaments. All he needed to do was sit properly.

After sizing him up, Sun Fu's earlier irritation from the chess game dissipated. He nodded and said: "Not bad, not bad. I can see you've taken your studies to heart."

Zhang Xuan cut in: "A pedantic scholar's air?"

"You old scoundrel, you—"

Old Marquis Xiao said helplessly: "You two old fellows, bickering in front of the younger generation—aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

"Him?" Zhang Xuan looked at Chen Yi with a smile that didn't reach his eyes and asked: "Do you know who I am?"

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow inwardly. Does this Old Duke have some grudge against me?

"Duke of Gan."

"Wrong. I'm your father's old nemesis!"

Oh?

Chen Xuanji's mind cleared—so that was the root of it. He smiled. "My father never mentioned it to me, Your Grace. Please forgive my ignorance."

Zhang Xuan froze, then pointed a trembling finger at him, so angry his beard bristled. "You young whelp really aren't afraid of—"

Old Marquis Xiao quickly stepped in to stop him. "A man your age, still acting like a child?"

"But what he just said... Chen Xuanji doesn't take me seriously?"

"You're overthinking it."

Old Marquis Xiao signaled Sun Fu to pull the man away. Zhang Xuan, face still dark, stalked off toward the side room without another word.

Once he was gone.

Old Marquis Xiao saw that Chen Xuanji remained calm and shook his head with a chuckle. "You little rascal, did you do that on purpose?"

Chen Xuanji grinned. "Can't hide it from you, Old Master."

He was curious about Duke Zhang's attitude, but that didn't stop him from "striking back."

Of course, he knew his limits—nothing too obvious.

Old Marquis Xiao laughed. "Good. You're not one to take a loss lying down."

"But if Chen Xuanji were here, he'd probably slap you twice."

"This grandson-in-law would like to hear the story."

"Just old grudges. Six years ago, when the barbarians pushed east and raided Jiaozhou..."

The old marquis didn't hold back. He laid out the feud between Duke Zhang Xuan and Chen Xuanji.

In short, Chen Xuanji, then serving as Provincial Administration Commissioner of Jiangnan Prefecture, had failed to dispatch grain supplies in time to support Jiaozhou, earning Zhang Xuan's displeasure.

Thus the grudge was born.

But as far as Chen Xuanji knew, after that incident, His Majesty had sent Chen Xuanji as an envoy to the Western Buddhist Kingdom. He probably didn't even remember the conflict with Zhang Xuan anymore.

After finishing, Old Marquis Xiao smiled. "That old fellow only holds grudges over matters, not people. If you have the time to write him a poem, I guarantee you'll have him grinning ear to ear."

Chen Xuanji hesitated briefly, then replied, "This grandson-in-law will keep that in mind."

After a few more casual words, Old Marquis Xiao didn't keep him long. When he learned Chen Xuanji wanted to leave the manor and take a stroll, he agreed directly.

"What's past is past. Jinghong has already forgiven you, so naturally I won't hold onto it either."

"But since you're part of the Xiao Family now, keep yourself steady. Don't go to places like South of the City."

Chen Xuanji nodded in acknowledgment.

If he hadn't been thinking of going out to find some amusement earlier, he wouldn't have had any reason to visit Yanhuaxiang.

Soon after, Chen Xuanji left Qingjing Residence with Xiao Wuge.

Old Marquis Xiao pondered for a moment, then had Zhang Xuan and Sun Fu summoned.

Duke Zhang Xuan hurried over, impatiently demanding, "Well? Did your grandson-in-law agree?"

Sun Fu laughed and scolded him. "You're a duke yourself. Aren't you ashamed to scheme against a junior like this?"

Zhang Xuan, shameless as ever, retorted, "If I can get a poem as good as Old Xiao's, I'll gladly throw caution to the wind."

Old Marquis Xiao shot him a glare. "The moment you twitch your tail, I know you're up to no good."

"Rejoice while you can. Chen Xuanji agreed, but it's up to you to smooth things over later. The man came to pay his respects, and you had to drag Chen Xuanji into it."

"Don't worry, don't worry. I know what to do..."

Leaving Qingjing Residence, Chen Xuanji and Xiao Wuge headed straight back to Chunhe Garden. Along the way, snatches of gossip reached his ears:

"That birthday poem by the second son-in-law has spread all over Shuzhou City. I hear many scholars think it's a pity—such talent, yet he married into the Xiao Family."

"What's there to pity? The manor treats the son-in-law well enough."

"True, but you can't stop people's tongues. I wonder if the Second Miss is still angry about him fleeing the wedding."

"Probably not..."

No secrets stayed hidden in a household. As long as nothing was deliberately suppressed, word spread quickly.

Fortunately, the talk was mostly positive, so Chen Xuanji paid it no mind.

But as he reached the entrance of Chunhe Garden, he spotted Uncle Gui, back hunched, just stepping out of Jiaxing Garden.

Hm?

Chen Xuanji paused mid-step, keeping his expression natural. "Brother Xing, please prepare the carriage. The Young Marquis and I will be leaving the manor shortly."

If he remembered correctly, the back courtyard chores were always done before dawn.

A departure from routine meant trouble—it seemed the secret letter sent by the Hidden Guard earlier had already drawn a response.